TEHRAN–The tourism infrastructure of Rig-e Boland, a barren desert situated in Aran-Bidgol county, central Isfahan province, needs to be developed, a local tourism chief has said.

With its natural beauty and unique location, Rig-e Boland deserves the development of tourism infrastructure, Mehdi Mashhadi explained on Tuesday.

Traveling to the desert has become an increasingly popular option for tourists in recent years after the geography of tourism changed, the official added.

“Until recently, most people chose forest and coastal areas for travel, but now the desert is becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations,” he explained.

The Rig-e Boland desert in Aran-Bidgol county, near a salt lake, is considered one of Iran’s natural tourist attractions, which has been inscribed on the national heritage list due to its unique features, he noted.

Over 2.5 million people visit Rig-e Boland each year during the high season, which makes it one of the most visited areas in the country, he stated.

Neighboring the popular Maranjab desert, Rig-e Boland still lacks proper tourism infrastructure and services, he added.

With an area of approximately 168,000 hectares, Rig-e Boland is home to different types of dunes. The general structure of dunes is mainly light sandy, and in some places, it is accompanied by gypsum and quartz particles. The Rig-e Boland is in a horseshoe shape, starting from the Marnjab region, and extends to the north of Aran-Bidgol county. It is the largest sand field in Isfahan province and the eighth largest dune in the country.

Popular for off-roading, Maranjab is one of the most popular deserts in Iran, situated about 60 Km from Kashan in a northeast direction.

The desert is surrounded by a salt lake from the north, Band-e Rig Desert and National Park from the east, Masileh Desert, Hoz-e sultan and Moreh Lakes from the west and eventually Aran-Bidgol from the south.

ABU/AM